Coach Stefan Kuntz made two changes to the side that beat Romania 4-2 in the semi-finals. Florian Neuhaus was replaced by Suat Serdar in holding midfield and the former Leverkusen defender Benni Henrichs returned to the left back slot after a one-match ban. Maximilian Mittelstädt dropped down to the bench.
Germany appeared to show great respect at the start to Spain who lost 1-0 in the 2017 final thanks to a goal from Mitchell Weiser. Germany were much too passive allowing Spain to control proceedings by dominating possession. And the team coached by Luis de la Fuente made full use of their first chance on goal. Fabian burst through the centre of the German defence and fired in a shot from 25 yards for the opener.
The Kuntz eleven were more adventurous after the set-back but there were no clear-cut chances before the break. Goalkeeper Antonio Sivera was only tested once. However, a deflected shot from the former Werkself pro Levin Öztunali was no problem for Spain's number one.
The second half continued in the same vein with Germany on the front foot from the start. Nadiem Amiri had a good chance to level after good work in the build-up from Henrichs but the keeper Sivera was on his toes. And the second goal for Spain came on 69 minutes – Alexander Nübel was unable to hold on to a long-range effort from Fabian and Dani Olmo was left with a simple tap-in. Fabian missed on 75 minutes and Soler hit the bar (81') in the search for the third goal.
As Luca Waldschmidt failed to convert chances in the box on 74 and 83 minutes, the goal scored by Amiri to make it 2-1 on 88 minutes was a mere consolation when he beat the Spain keeper with a deflected shot from distance. The match ended for the team led by the skipper Jonathan Tah, who went the full distance, as the U21 Euros runners-up. Reaching the semi-finals in the tournament does mean Germany qualify for the 2020 Olympics football tournament in Tokyo.
Jonathan Tah was very disappointed after the game: "We were unsettled after conceding the early goal. The second half was better. And we gave our all right to the end. We can take a lot of positives from the tournament."
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed Kerim Alajbegovic’s transfer to Italian record champions Juventus. The club brought the 18-year-old attacking player back to Leverkusen this summer via a buy-back option, following a season at Red Bull Salzburg. Until his move to Austria, the Bosnia international had been playing for Bayer 04’s Under-19s.
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With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of the 3-0 victory in the friendly match against Rot-Weiss Essen...
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without Kennet Eichhorn for the time being. Following specialist medical examinations, the new signing from Berlin has been diagnosed with a metabolic disorder requiring treatment. This was preceded by excessive physical strain and weight loss, partly as a result of a gastrointestinal condition.
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A successful fourth preseason friendly ahead of the start of the training camp: The Werkself secured a 3-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The goals in what was a commanding and dominant performance by Leverkusen from the outset were scored by Ibrahim Maza (8'), Patrik Schick from the penalty spot (23’) and, in the second half, Montrell Culbreath with a header (79’). The team set off for their training camp in Blankenhain in the Weimarer Land region after the game.
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